Wand of Lightning Bolt - how good is it really?

[FrogReaver]

This is what I mean when I say I'm leery of using it. If my DM compensates for its damage, I'm just gonna wind up feeling like I have to use it because all my other options have been effectively weakened.

[MENTION=23]Ancalagon[/MENTION], If you're inclined to do this, don't hand out this wand as written. Change it into a cantrip effect, or lower the damage of the wand so that it doesn't overshadow your players' other options.

I get what you are saying but it's really not as big of an impact as you are acting like. Its the difference of maybe 1 more monster in a given fight or maybe a slightly strong monster instead.

 

[Satyrn]

I get what you are saying but it's really not as big of an impact as you are acting like. Its the difference of maybe 1 more monster in a given fight or maybe a slightly strong monster instead.

In any single fight, that'd be fine, but I think my DM would be likely to boost most of the fights, and I just don't want that.

We've recently - about a year ago - scaled back the power levels of our game. Tbe big change was lowering the PC's accuracy and damage by using the standard array. I didn't think lowering our stats by a few points would make much difference, but the impact has actually been huge. The game has been more fun for the players and DM. The DM's not bothering to boost up his encounters like he used to, and we're not seeing any of the problems that posters like Zapp & Zardnaar like to discuss.


This experience has taught me that "DM compensation" is a solution I don't want to use. It's certainly not the solution to a problem that I can see coming. If I'm saying "so what if this wand is too strong, I'll just make the encounters harder" I'm making a mistake.

I'd far rather prefer to change the wand to fit.

 

[FrogReaver]

In any single fight, that'd be fine, but I think my DM would be likely to boost most of the fights, and I just don't want that.

We've recently - about a year ago - scaled back the power levels of our game. Tbe big change was lowering the PC's accuracy and damage by using the standard array. I didn't think lowering our stats by a few points would make much difference, but the impact has actually been huge. The game has been more fun for the players and DM. The DM's not bothering to boost up his encounters like he used to, and we're not seeing any of the problems that posters like Zapp & Zardnaar like to discuss.


This experience has taught me that "DM compensation" is a solution I don't want to use. It's certainly not the solution to a problem that I can see coming. If I'm saying "so what if this wand is too strong, I'll just make the encounters harder" I'm making a mistake.

I'd far rather prefer to change the wand to fit.

You are going a little overboard IMO. A good DM must always compensate for his party. Super optimizers vs non-optimizers, etc. If a PC is making everything way way to easy then you compensate for the sake of a good game. If it's a slight increase in power then you don't even have to do that. You don't have to keep the players on a treadmill and increase the difficulty every time they increase in power level. What you need to do as a DM is to make sure everything isn't a cakewalk for them. The wand in question will be a slight increase in power and won't make anything a cakewalk that couldn't have already been made a cakewalk by using level 3 and level 4 spell slots. Why?

Because the wand isn't going to make the encounters you face in the day any easier than your level 3 and 4 spell slots already would. It's not stronger than things you can already do with your action in a battle. What it allows is for you go have a longer adventuring day at the same effective power level. Or it allows you to focus more on out of combat uses for your spell slots.

In other words it's much ado about nothing.

 

[Ancalagon]

An interesting way to use the wand would be that it memorized lightning bolt for you.

So you don't get more slots per day, but a caster that may not have been able to use the spell now can...

 

[Satyrn]

You are going a little overboard IMO.

I'm just offering advice based on my experience with the wand in question, and the concerns that have actually stopped me from using it in play.

 

[jgsugden]

Consider the difference between a 3E Wand of Lightning Bolts and a 5E Wand of Lightning Bolts.

3E: The PCs find a wand of lightning bolts. They spam lightning bolts in a few combats and the wand depletes. Then they buy another, or use a fireball wand, or any of the other plethora of items in their 6 bags of holding.

5E: The PCs found THE Wand of Lightning Bolts. Soon after, their wizard became known for the eletrical mayhem he threw around in battle after battle. He became known as the Lightning Mage, using his trusty wand untilt the day he fell at the hands of Demogorgon himself.

If you follow the guidelines in the DMG, your PCs are likely to find about 6 magic items each during their careers, and 3 of those will require attunement. Due to random chance you may find more or less - and DMs may allow the purchase of items (although I think that anything greater than uncommon would be hard to find for sale) - but the expectation should be that PCs of 7th level will each have 1 or 2 attuned items... and those attuned items should be a significant part of their character experience.

 

[CapnZapp]

At level 7 it is very strong. By 11 it will be just a magic item. By 15 it will only get use in mopup duty.

At least it's level 7.

Yes, its desirable but not broken so. As mentioned above, the biggest effect is to give it to a support caster, making the Cleric or Circle Druid deal wizard-level damage.

It's at level 5 or below it is a game-changer, and probably shouldn't be handed out without modification.

 

[Ancalagon]

Consider the difference between a 3E Wand of Lightning Bolts and a 5E Wand of Lightning Bolts.

3E: The PCs find a wand of lightning bolts. They spam lightning bolts in a few combats and the wand depletes. Then they buy another, or use a fireball wand, or any of the other plethora of items in their 6 bags of holding.

5E: The PCs found THE Wand of Lightning Bolts. Soon after, their wizard became known for the eletrical mayhem he threw around in battle after battle. He became known as the Lightning Mage, using his trusty wand untilt the day he fell at the hands of Demogorgon himself.

If you follow the guidelines in the DMG, your PCs are likely to find about 6 magic items each during their careers, and 3 of those will require attunement. Due to random chance you may find more or less - and DMs may allow the purchase of items (although I think that anything greater than uncommon would be hard to find for sale) - but the expectation should be that PCs of 7th level will each have 1 or 2 attuned items... and those attuned items should be a significant part of their character experience.

I completely concur with your analysis, and it's why I hesitate... it seems like a lot. It is one heck of a signature item.

There is one correction I note however... the item is not just for wizard... it's spellcasters. So a cleric could use it, a ranger, someone with the magic initiate feat, a totem barbarian...

A quick aside: the party also found a wand of negation - and this one has a few charges that won't come back. If the players are clever, they will shut down the lightning BBEG underling pretty quickly...

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Anything that only does damage is pretty MEH in 5E. Hitpoints were passed out like they are going out of style.

In theory you are granting the wielder the ability to bolts of lightning, the reality though when you consider that anything CR3 or higher has hefty hitpoints means your player will feel like he is giving people socks on a shag carpet static shock.

 

[Leatherhead]

I wouldn't worry about a totem barbarian getting this thing. You can't cast spells in a rage after all. An Eldritch Knight might be more questionable, but unless it's a wand of Fireballs, it isn't likely to hit more than 3 targets at any given use